Roadhouse Blues
by Mrs. Mojo Risin' Blues
Summary: The Blues Brothers and Maria Valens are back with even more hijinks as they go on the road and have the time of their lives. Elwood/OC and Jake/ different OC included. Sequel to "Everybody Needs Somebody". Rated M for language and suggestive themes
1. Lovely Rita

**AN: Yay, the first chapter to the sequel to _Everybody Needs Somebody_, "Roadhouse Blues" This story will still have Maria Valens as well as some OC's I made up. It doesn't really focus sorely on romance, but their will be some romantic parts I can assure you ;) For now, the first few chapters are mainly gonna be about Jake and his girlfriend (in which he met in the Jake oneshot I wrote "Jake Blues, the Bachelor" I would read it before reading this story) so don't get mad if I don't make enough dialogue between him and Elwood or Elwood and Maria.**

The feel and the environment of the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport was very uncomfortable and often chaotic, even as early as 7:30 AM. At one side of the airport, a man was rushing to get to his terminal with his carry on while one woman near the entrance of the airport tried to calm her crying kid. The security guard near the entrance seemed to be bored on the job as he narrowed his eyes, locked his jaw, and wiggled his mustache in annoyance of the crying kid who only wanted a toy from a kiosk. The automatic sliding doors closed again, shutting off the sound of the kid as the officer sighed in content and relief. He continued to look out at the passing cars in boredom until he saw a black and white 1975 dodge police car pull up and park at a pick up zone. He saw the driver of the car wore black shades and a black fedora hat with brown sideburns down the sides of his face. The security guard instantly recognized him.

_Oh wow, it's silent Elwood from the Blues Brothers…_

Elwood got out of his car and walked around it to open the door for the passenger.

"Elwood, you didn't have to open the door for me" a female voice said with a slight chuckle.

In the passenger's seat, out stepped a woman with wavy black hair and dark circular sunglasses, whom the officer knew as Maria Valens, the Blues Brothers' main guitarist and rumored love interest of Elwood. She got out of the car and closed the passenger's seat as the other door from the back opened and out stepped a man with the same hat and dark shades as Elwood, but who was shorter and weighed more.

_And there's Joliet Jake…_

After Elwood locked the car, the men and woman walked to the entrance where the security guard tipped his hat and nodded to them as his greeting. "Morning, Mr. Blues and Miss Valens"

The three bandmates suddenly stopped at the sound of their greeting.

"How do you know us?" Jake asked the officer suspiciously.

"You two are the only men I've seen who wear the same outfit onstage and offstage" The officer replied as he pointed to the Brothers' black suit, white undershirt, outfit.

"By the way, I've been to your concert and I gotta say, I haven't danced so much in my life"

"Thanks" Elwood replied "Glad you enjoyed the show"

"Have a good morning" Maria said kindly with a wave of her hand as the three bandmates departed into the airport.

The officer waved back at them before the doors closed behind them and they walked towards near the escalators where they will be waiting for the arrival of a certain passenger.

"So Jake, are you ready to be reunited with your girlfriend?" Maria asked the shorter Blues Brother

Jake shrugged his shoulders emotionless. "Sure"

_That's total bullcrap._ Maria thought. _I know he's excited to see her._

"You know, if it wasn't for Elwood getting a ticket outside the movies, you never would've met her." She added.

"I still hate the fact I had to pay 50 bucks for something so stupid like an expired parking meter" Elwood complained.

"But at least some good came out of that, right?" Maria asked "I was reunited with a close friend and Jake finally found a girlfriend who won't chase us down the strip of Las Vegas."

"Thank god" Elwood commented

"Guys, shut up!" Jake hissed as he felt uncomfortable with so many people around them.

Even if he didn't know the people around them, he had a reputation to keep as 'Joliet Jake' and he didn't want to ruin it by being "the loving type" and talking about girlfriends in public.

"Whatever" Maria mumbled

More and more people began descending down the escalators and the musicians kept their eyes out for Jake's girlfriend until they finally spotted a familiar red-headed meter maid.

"There she is!" Maria said happily

The red-headed girl looked around until she spotted Maria

"Maria!" she said happily as she waved frantically.

"Hey Rita!"

The two women hurried to each other and hugged each other tightly.

"It's been so long!"

"I know, four months!" Maria exclaimed "But we had to earn more money somehow, right?! Album sales aren't just enough!"

"But you guys sold over 2 million albums!"

"Pffft, it was Jake and Elwood mostly who made that happen"

Maria noticed Jake and Elwood behind Rita and spun her friend around, changing the subject "Look who else missed you!"

Rita saw her boyfriend and her sea-green eyes lit up with joy

"My Jakey!"

She almost tackled Jake as she showered him with kisses all over his face, making Elwood and Maria fight the urge to laugh out loud and make fun of him.

_Let them have their moment…_

Rita stopped kissing Jake as he pulled her closer for a full kiss on her lips.

"So I guess Jake can be romantic" Maria mumbled to Elwood

"Only once in a blue moon" he mumbled back to her

"You better not be talking crap about us" Jake teased as he stopped the kiss and Rita rested her head on Jake's shoulder

"Oh yes, Jake" Maria replied sarcastically "We're talking about how much of an ugly couple you two are"

"Well, you two aren't much to look at either" Jake retorted

"Whatever you say…Jakey" Elwood teased with a small smile

"Shut up, Loverboy"

"Hey, you're the one to talk. You've got a girlfriend too!" Elwood said back

"I know, but you will always be the main loverboy" Jake retorted

Elwood rolled his eyes behind his shades "Whatever. Now that Rita's here, let's go get some breakfast. I'm starving"

"Yeah" Maria agreed "So 'Lovely Rita' here can get some decent food in her stomach"

"I hate that nickname" Rita grumbled "I can't believe my parents named me after that song."

_"Oh lovely Rita, meter maid, where would I be without you?"_ Maria sang/teased.

She winked at Jake and Rita as she sang more "_Give us a wink and make me think of yooooou!"_

"Shut up!"

Maria laughed as she walked ahead next to Elwood.

_Too bad she's only gonna be with us during our New Orleans vacation…It would be nice to have some female company on the road instead of being surrounded by guys all the time._

The group stepped out of the sliding doors and made their way into the Bluesmobile.

"So how did your gig here go?" Rita asked Jake

"Pretty good." He replied "Most of the band already left to New Orleans; we were just waiting for you to arrive"

"And it's a good thing you arrived now, instead of later" Maria commented "I couldn't wait to have someone that's actually from there  
to show us around the city."

"I'll show you the best places to be" Rita said to her joyfully "But after I go see my parents"

"So your parents still live there?" Elwood asked as he turned the Bluesmobile into a Howard Johnson's parking lot.

"Yeah, they didn't really approve of me going to Chicago for a music career, but they supported me and cheered me on." Rita replied

"That's good" Maria replied as Elwood stopped the car in a parking spot and turned it off.

The group of four made their way inside the Howard Johnson's and made their way to a booth. After they ordered their drinks, Elwood turned to the group

"After this, we're going to have to drive to that trucker place to drop off my car and use the tour bus."

"You're leaving your car behind?" Rita asked

"No, I'm taking it along this tour." Elwood replied

"He's had that car longer than he's had me, so I'm not saying anything" Maria commented as her eyes skimmed the menu in front of her.

"It'll save us money on both gas and for cab fare" Elwood said wisely. "I've thought this out since the beginning of the tour."

"Clever" Maria said

"Thanks"

The group continued to read off their menus, as Rita's mind began to wonder about going back to her hometown.

_My parents' 30th anniversary is coming up...I wonder if they'll be interested in meeting Jake...or if Jake will be interested in meeting them..._

"Jakey, can I ask you something?" Rita asked quietly as Elwood and Maria chose their food.

"Of course, baby. What's up?" Jake asked as he looked up at his girlfriend.

"Would you be interested in meeting my parents when we head to New Orleans?"

Jake's eyes grew behind his shades as he spat a little of his Pepsi out of his mouth in surprise.

Maria scooted to her right to avoid getting wet. "Eww!"

"Me...meeting your parents?" Jake asked hoarsely

Rita nodded as she blinked innocently at him "C'mon Jakey, I told them so much about you! And their 30 year wedding anniversary is coming up soon, so I have to be there!"

"Wow, Thirty years" Maria commented in awe "You don't see couples sticking around that long anymore."

"I know, and this is why it's so important to me!" Rita begged

Jake scowled in stubbornness.

"Please? It's all I ask of you. If you say yes, you'll make me so happy and..." She tugged Jake's tie playfully and says seductively "I'll be sure to make you happy"

Elwood and Maria grimaced but Jake raised his eyebrow in his signature way and smiled slyly

"You promise?"

Rita wiggled her eyebrows and planted a juicy kiss on Jake's lips. "Yes I promise"

* * *

After their breakfast, Elwood drove into the parking lot of a truck stop.

"Ok, now keep an eye out for our tour bus" Elwood said to the group

The passengers looked around the lot as Elwood drove around some more. After a few moments, Rita finally spotted a tourbus that was a dark blue color.

"Is that your bus?"

Maria squinted her eyes and nodded "Yeah, that's it."

"You guys go ahead and go inside the bus while I park the car in the trailer" Elwood said

"Alright, loverboy" Jake said.

The 3 passengers got out of the car, retrieved their luggage from the trunk, and closed it before Elwood drove off. Maria stepped inside the bus where she was greeted by Harv, the bus driver they hired.

"Hey Harv, ready for some hardcore driving?"

He laughed "I think your boyfriend is the one who's into the hardcore driving"

Maria laughed.

"Yeah, good point" she agreed "Oh and this is Jake's girlfriend, Rita Starkey"

Rita shook hands with the driver "Hi"

Harv smiled "If your'e gonna ride this bus, let me warn you that in the nighttime, Jake snores...loudly"

"Not that loud" Jake argued

"You shake up the whole bus" Maria teased.

She turned to Rita "You better have brought some ear plugs"

"Well, with my girlfriend here" Jake began as he wrapped his arms around Rita "I don't think I would want to sleep...if you catch my drift"

Maria sighed in annoyance and looked out the window "Here comes Elwood."

"And New Orleans, here we come!" Rita cheered

"Hey Harv" Elwood greeted as he stepped into the bus.

"Hey Elwood. Now that we're all here, let's get this show on the road!"

He turned the key in the ignition and the whole bus shook as it turned on. He closed the bus doors, stirred the wheel, stepped on the brake and drove The Blues Brothers and their girlfriends away from the truck stop parking lot and onto the open road.

**AN: (sings) On the road again...just can't wait to get on the road again...The life I love is making music with my friends..and I just cant wait to get on the road again...**

**So this has been the kick off chapter to a new Blues Brothers story :D it took me forever, but I finally finished it :D**

**More to come!**


	2. Lessons

**AN: Hello my lovely readers :D Before I get started with the story, I wanna say thank you to my awesome reviewers, who had reviewed the first chapter :D I do appreciate it very much. Every review I get, always makes a difference to me as a bit of support and motivation. This chapter is mainly a Elwood/Maria chapter so I apologize if it's somewhat boring, but the brothers are sure to interact with each other later on in story :)**

**So now, here is yet another installment of "Roadhouse Blues".**

* * *

Many hours after they had left the truck stop in Dallas, the Blues Brothers' tour bus continued to drive along the long road in the chilly and wet East Texas climate. Driving during the Mid-fall always came with a caution to the truck drivers who would pass through the road, especially because of the risk of heavy rain. Even in the night, Maria looked outside the cool window and noticed grey skies as the rain pour outside the tour bus like a water faucet.

"Do you know if the rain is gonna continue all through the night?" she asked Elwood, who sat causally next to her doodling in his sketchbook.

He looked up at her from his drawing and then outside the window where the raindrops were hitting against it harder and harder.

"I don't really know" Elwood replied

"I hope so" she replied "I don't like it when it rains this much at night"

"Why?" he asked curiously "Scared of lightning?"

"I don't like what follows."

A sudden clap of thunder boomed and echoed across the sky, making Maria jump.

"If the rain and thunder don't stop at this rate, I won't be able to get any sleep." She complained "As it is, we have to deal with Jake's snoring!"

"Is my snoring really that loud?" Jake asked as he came from a separate room in the back of the bus and opened the refrigerator.

"You can wake the dead" Maria replied

"Well, hopefully we'll be able to book us a hotel room and stay the night there." Elwood said to his brother and girlfriend.

"If we stay at a hotel, we gotta hurry up and leave in the early morning" Jake said as he took a map that rested on the mini-kitchen counter

He opened the map up and pointed to a place that was a medium distance away from Dallas "Here we are and by night time, we'll be right on the outskirts of Texas"

He slid his finger from his current position on the map to the borderline that separated Texas and Louisiana. "If we leave in the early morning, we'll be able to reach Shreveport, Louisiana by noon."

"What's there in Shreveport?" Elwood asked

Jake shrugged "I don't know, but I want to stop in a city because..."

He dropped his voice after he turned around to see if Rita was listening and sounded uncomfortable.

"I wanna...uh.. surprise Rita with a date"

Maria smiled "Wow Jake, that's actually pretty sweet of you"

Jake still felt uncomfortable, but continued talking

"I haven't spent time with her ever since we went on tour and I know she's only gonna be with us until she has to go back to work, so mind as well take her out, right?"

"Sure" Elwood said with a shrug

"Just wear a condom" Maria added

"Oh ha ha" Jake replied sarcastically as he frowned at her

"I'm serious, dude." She replied with a wide-eyed look in her eyes "Unless you want a Jake Jr. inside of her...which I highly doubt you want"

"Shouldn't you be lecturing about that to your loverboy, here?!" Jake asked as he pointed his thumb at Elwood

Elwood shot a look at Jake while he turned a deep red

"I don't have to worry about Elwood. He's not a horn dog like you" Maria retorted

"He's not?" Jake asked

He turned to Elwood disappointingly "What the hell, man? You gotta give some lovin' to your woman!"

Maria began to object "It's not that, it's just..."

"Wait!" Jake suddenly interrupted with a smirk "So...he does "Give you some lovin'" then?"

"That's not what I said!" Maria argued as she turned pink

"Don't bullshit, Six Strings; you're turning red!"

Jake was being proven correct, as Maria's whole face began to turn a tomato red.

"You just admitted Elwood plows you!" Jake exclaimed with a laugh

Maria scowled in embarrassment as Elwood hid his face behind his hand and Jake continued to laugh

"Fuck you, Jake" Maria finally said

"No thanks, I have a girlfriend to do that for me" Jake joked with a sly grin as he walked back to the back of the bus with his girlfriend

"Ugh!" Maria complained as she plopped down on the couch with her arms crossed.

She reached for her acoustic guitar and began strumming a fast riff with a sneer on her face, relieving her frustration

"Your brother really knows how to irk me, doesn't he?" she asked Elwood, not looking up from her guitar

"I know he can go overboard at times" Elwood began as he sat next to her and extended his arm around her, trying to be reasonable in hopes of calming her down "But I know he means well"

"I just don't want him to know about our...um...intimacy" Maria added with a blush on her cheeks

Elwood adjusted his tie uncomfortably "I see what you mean"

"As it is, I don't want the audience or the public to know about us!" she exclaimed "The press will be all over us!"

"I know, but look on the bright side." Elwood assured her "At least we know Jake won't go blabbing to the press about the both of us"

Maria shrugged and nodded her head in reluctant agreement.

_He's right... Jake kept his word when I told him not to tell Elwood about me being a virgin at the time..._

Elwood hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek, making her smile "Everything will be alright"

She sighed and turned her head to face him, still keeping the smile on her face "You always know what to say to me."

Elwood smiled as she kissed him and he happily returned it. After the kiss stopped, Elwood spoke up again.

"Y'know, there's something about you I've always been curious about"

"What's that?" she asked

He looked over her shoulder to the acoustic guitar she had put down next to her and now lied across the couch vertically. She turned her head in the direction he was looking at and noticed the guitar. She turned back to face him

"My guitar?" she asked

"How you learned to play it"

"Well, I learned how to play it during my time at the orphanage" she told him

"I remember you telling me that.." He began

"Here, let me show you what I had to learn."

She reached for her acoustic and put her fingers on her left hand into position onto the strings and upper fretboards.

"At first, I only learned the simplistic chords like the E minor"

She strummed an E minor with her thumb in a smooth motion of her wrist

"And then an A minor"

She strummed the A minor chord in a similar fashion.

"But then I learned the harder ones soon after like the G minor major 7th chord"

She positioned her fingers in an awkward looking position on the strings and fretboards and strummed the G minor major 7th chord.

She looked up at Elwood and handed the guitar to him eagerly. "Here, you try it"

He raised his eyebrows in a surprised manner

"That chord?" He asked, being doubtful he could position his fingers into a chord like that

"No, I mean playing the actual guitar" she replied with a chuckle "I'll show you the basics"

"Uh...sure" He said awkwardly as Maria placed the guitar on his lap.

He held the guitar up and positioned it with his right arm and places his fingers on the top fret.

"What do I do first?" He asked

"Well, before any guitarist starts playing, he or she needs to learn the names of the six strings the guitar has" she instructed

Maria pointed to the thick, lower string "That's an E and the top string is an E. The difference is, is that the last one is an octave lower than the first one. Try playing them and hear the differences"

Elwood played the lower string, but heard a muted sound.

He narrowed his eyebrows in confusion "That's not what it's supposed to sound like"

Maria chuckled and gently removed his right hand and fingers from the fret board, which caused the muting sound. "That was the problem"

"Oh" Elwood replied, feeling stupid.

"It's a common mistake, it's no problem" she reassured

Elwood tried again with playing the string and played it successfully. He strummed the top string and noticed the high and low sounds of the octaves

_Ohh, now I see what she means.._

"You see?" she asked "Those are your beginning and ending strings. The names of all the strings are E, A, D, G, B, E."_  
_

Elwood played each string carefully and noticed their sound changes.

"There you go" she said happily

"What about some of the chords?" he asked

"Here..."

Maria lifted Elwood's right hand to the fret board again and placed his index and middle fingers on the A and D strings on the second fret. "Hold those strings down with those fingers"

Elwood did as he was told

"Don't press down too hard or else your fingers will start to hurt" She advised "Since you're a beginner, you haven't developed the calluses on your fingertips yet"

She lifted her fingers up, to show her boyfriend the rough patches of skin on her fingertips.

"So, that's why your fingers are rough..." he wondered.

"Exactly"

Elwood turned back to the guitar and strummed all the strings carefully.

"And that is how you play an E minor" Maria told him

Elwood smiled gently to himself, feeling somewhat proud of himself for learning something new.

"So you learned stuff like this since you were 5?" Elwood asked her

"Yes, indeedy" she replied proudly "My dad, showed me some of the easy chords on his guitar and bought me a small one for me to play with."

The sudden memory of her playing along with her dad on guitar appeared in her head and her mood and tone changed. Her smile disappeared and her voice sounded sullen "It wasn't until after my parents died, that I began to take music seriously and began wanting to play it for a living."

"Because of your Rock N' Roll records that you played to annoy the nuns?" Elwood asked

"Not only that" she began "But the music reminded me of the good times I had with them"

Elwood sighed "It's a shame"

"Yes it is" she agreed quietly

The couple remained silent with sadness until Maria let out a sigh and hand a hand through her hair "I'm so sorry for putting the mood down! I didn't want to steer away the happiness of you learning about guitar!"

Elwood chuckled as he set down the guitar "It's alright"

"You did a good job" she said with a smile and a kiss on his cheek "If more students were as cooperative as you, I wouldn't mind teaching guitar to kids"

"If only I had teachers like you growing up, I might actually pay attention in school" Elwood joked

"Teachers like me how?" Maria asked with a wink of her eye

Elwood was about to answer but then Harv interrupted him

"Hey guys, I'm gonna head to a truck stop; this thing is getting low on gas and the rain is pouring even harder"

Maria turned her attention to the window behind her and saw the many raindrops land rapidly against the window.

_Shit, he's right..._

"We'll ask for the nearest motel once we park at the truck stop" Elwood said to his girlfriend

"Alright, I'll let Jake and Rita know" Maria replied as she stood up and made her way to the back of the bus.

"Hey, Sonny and Cher..." Maria joked as she approached the door to Jake's little room.

She opened the door to the little room about to tell them what Harv had told she and Elwood, but when she did, she paused at what she saw. There laid Rita resting her red- haired head on Jake's chest, in a peaceful and cozy slumber. Jake wasn't any different. He too was fast asleep in a peaceful slumber, and had an arm snugly around Rita's waist as he snored. Maria smirked at the sight of the couple and gently closed the door to let them be. She walked back to the front of the bus and approached Elwood with a finger to her lips and a jerk of her thumb to Jake's door, indicating that they were asleep.

"I didn't want to wake them up" she whispered

"Alright" Elwood said quietly "Let's just park the bus and sleep in it for the night"

"Okay"

* * *

Later, Harv parked the tour bus at a truck stop after filling up the tank and fell right asleep on the pull out sofa near the front of the bus. Maria, meanwhile, yawned as she removed her outfit and got dressed in her baggy tshirt and pajama pants.

_Thank god I didn't wear make up today...too much of a pain to take off anyway_

She climbed into bed and got under the snug covers right before Elwood joined her, having to have changed from his black suit outfit to some boxers and a white undershirt.

"Tomorrow's going to be a busy day" Elwood said to her as he removed his shades and laid them on the nightstand by his side. "For Jake and Rita, anyway..."

"Yup" Maria agreed "But that's gonna leave us with nothing to do"

He turned his side to face her and smiled "How about I give you a little lesson in drawing? Seeing that you showed me the basics of your talent..."

She smiled back at him "I'd like that"

Maria leaned forward and gave Elwood a small but still sweet kiss against his soft lips

"Goodnight, Elwood" she whispered "I love you"

"I love you too" He whispered at the same volume as he stroked the side of her soft cheek with his hand

With those words, Maria closed her eyes and rested her head against her boyfriend's chest as Elwood wrapped an arm around her and joined his girlfriend in slumbers.

* * *

**AN: Maria teaching Elwood guitar, Jake and Rita cuddling against each other, and then Elwood and Maria cuddling together as well...**

**I know it's sorta sappy...but it was cute right? ;)**

**But don't get too cozy with the sweetness...that's all I'm gonna say.**

**I had some fun with this chapter :) Believe it or not, a dream I had recently and the band Van Halen gave me inspiration for it. I had a dream that The Blues Brothers came to my theater class because my teacher said "They're gonna be our guest mentors and they will teach you individually" So of course, I hoped that my mentor was Elwood but I got Jake, which is ok because either way, I'll be mentored by a Blues Brother! :) So Jake taught me how to do facial expressions onstage which is funny because he and John Landis did something like that on the set of "Animal House".**

**Also, my dream reminded me of "Hot for Teacher" by Van Halen because...let's face it, the Blues Brothers are damn good looking guys and I wouldn't mind staying after school for them ;)**


	3. Yes, I'm Guilty

**AN: Hello everyone :D I hope you all had a fun Christmas and plan on having an awesome New Years (which is gonna suck for me since I'm a bartender) But anyway, here I am again for yet another installment of "Roadhouse Blues." Yay! So in the previous chapter, we left off with Elwood and Maria cuddling. Adorable, right? Well, this chapter is sorta of a contrast to that, mainly because I'm gonna have Maria get paranoid and feel guilty. **

**You will see why as you read on...**

******Also I wanna say that the places and buildings I mention in the story are actual places, but I am not using them as a promotion. I'm using them to make the story more realistic. Like I can't say the group is near the capital, because the capital isn't Shreveport, Louisiana. It's in Baton Rouge. You'll see what I mean when you read on..**

* * *

Maria, the next morning, woke up to the sound of a obnoxiously loud passing ambulance siren, much to her annoyance. She rubbed her eyes with her fists as she sat up from her bed groggily and combed her hair back from her face with her fingers. It took her a few seconds of adjustment to realize that the room and floor was quaking slightly. She looked out the window and saw the scenery outside moving at a medium speed.

_I guess Harv got up early...Well, the earlier we drive off , the earlier we arrive..._

She glanced to her right and noticed Elwood's spot was empty.

_Always the early bird_...

She got up from her bed and put on her morning robe before brushing her teeth at the nearby bathroom. After she rinsed her mouth from the brushing, She opened the mirror's door and found her birth control pills in a clear plastic container ring next to the box of floss. She took a pill and drank some water in a cup.

_I can't afford to forget that as part of my routine...not after what happened last time... _She thought with a shudder.

* * *

Once Maria was finished in the bathroom and finished getting dressed, she walked out of her room to the kitchen where she found Elwood standing in front of the toaster making himself his favorite breakfast. She snickered at him for she noticed he was wearing his hat and shades even while wearing his undershirt and boxers.

_Hell, he still looks damn sexy in that outfit_

Maria snuck up from behind him as he put the coffee pot down and slightly tugged on the elastics of his boxers on his side playfully.

"Nice outfit, Toasty"

Elwood smiled at the familiar sound of her voice and turned to face his girlfriend before giving her a morning kiss.

"How did you sleep last night?" Maria asked as she made her way to the refrigerator.

Elwood shrugged "Pretty good, I guess. The tourbus' beds aren't that bad to sleep on"

"Yeah, but I think I still prefer a hotel room bed" Maria replied as she began to crack some eggs in a bowl to whisk. "At least we don't have to worry about honking cars to wake us up."

"True" Elwood replied.

Maria began to add some milk, salt, and pepper into the bowl full of eggs and mixed the food together with a fork. "You want me to make you a breakfast burrito?"

"Sure" Elwood replied as he took a bite of his toast "I never tried your cooking"

Maria chucked as she whisked the eggs some more "It's weird. We've known each other for over a year now and you've never had my food!"

"That's not true"

Elwood and Maria turned their heads and saw Jake and Rita enter the front of the tourbus.

"What do you mean it's not true?" Elwood asked his brother

"It's not true that you haven't had Six Strings' food." He said with a snicker "Because well... you've had her pie before. Oh and her dessert too."

Jake laughed at his own joke as Maria and Elwood sneered. Maria turned back to her cooking and laid out some flour tortillas for her to apply the scrambled eggs. Jake peeked from above Maria's shoulder as he noticed the ingredients she was cooking in the pan.

"Hey, where's my burrito?" Jake asked.

"Make your own damn burrito!" Maria exclaimed as she laid the ingredients in the tortilla and wrapped them "You got up late so these are only for me and Elwood."

She gave one of the plates to Elwood as she sat down next to him and began eating her burrito casually. Elwood took a bite from his burrito and chewed his food, liking the spices and flavors Maria added.

"It turned out very good, Maria" he said nicely after he swallowed a bite.

She smiled at him "Thank you."

"I can't say the same thing" Jake mumbled "Because I don't have a damn burrito"

"Make it yourself!"

"But I can't cook!"

"Well then that's your problem then!"

"Guys!" Rita interrupted, getting impatient "Stop it!"

She turned to Jake "I can make us some waffles, okay? Don't gripe about the burrito anymore"

Jake remained quiet and he crossed his arms.

"Fine" he finally replied

"Good"

Rita got up and made her way to the kitchen as Elwood took his last bite of his burrito.

"By the way, Maria" The red head added as she took out some waffle mix from the pantry as well as some eggs and water "I was thinking that maybe once we arrive in Shreveport, we could spend the day together!"

Maria narrowed her eyebrows "Spend the day together?"

"Yeah!" Rita said happily "Y'know, some girl time before we head to New Orleans!"

Maria felt uneasy, remembering what Jake had told her and Elwood the previous night.

_I haven't spent time with her ever since we went on tour and I know she's only gonna be with us until she has to go back to work, so mind as well take her out, right?_

"Um..." Maria began as she looked at Jake, who looked disappointed "That sounds okay, but only if it's okay with your boyfriend here"

Jake fidgeted in his seat and straightened his tie.

"Uh...of course it's okay, Six Strings." He said with a small uneasy laugh "You don't need my permission"

Maria lifted her eyebrows in suspicion at Jake, who caught her glance, frowned, and shrugged reluctantly in reply.

Rita turned her head from the waffle maker and smiled at Jake "I know Jakey, but it's just that I haven't had any girl time and caught up with stuff with Maria since our 'Instant Karma' days"

Maria closed her eyes and looked away from her friend with a sad frown.

"Good point. Besides" Elwood began as he nudged Jake on the shoulder, hinting at him _"Maybe you and Jake can spend some time together when we go to New Orleans_"

"That sounds fun; and while we're gone" Rita added as she prepared the waffles on two plates "The boys here can have some brother-to-brother time."

Elwood and Jake looked at each other and shrugged.

"Sure" Jake said

"Why not?"

Maria focused away from her anxiety and nodded at the idea.

"That sounds fair" She agreed "It feels like I've been stealing Elwood from you, Jake."

"You have" Jake replied as he playfully punched Elwood's shoulder.

"Well, now is your chance to finally have some guy time" Rita said as she arrived with the plates in her hands.

"Sounds fun." Elwood said with a small smile.

"Yeah" Jake agreed "Besides, we need to get away from all the estrogen in this tour bus."

Maria rolled her eyes "Who are you to complain? Rita and I are the only females here! Besides, do you know how hard it is being the only female in this band?"

"No" Jake replied.

"Do you get lonely sometimes because you're the only woman in the band?" Elwood asked her.

Maria shrugged "Sometimes. I mean, there are certain things I'd like to talk about to Rita that I can't tell Matt Murphy or even you and it sucks sometimes"

"What do you talk about with Rita?" Jake asked. "Like about bras and periods and stuff?"

"Just girl talk" Maria replied as she turned red at the mention of the word "periods"

"Yeah, so I think this day out is a great idea" Rita said with a cheerful smile.

Maria bit her thumbnail nervously.

* * *

Within a few hours later, the group had finally arrived in Shreveport, Louisiana. Maria fidgeted in her seat.

_I don't wanna bring up the past...but I'm gonna have to to get this feeling off my back..._

"Hey guys, I'm gonna park the bus into a station." Harv said as he turned the wheel of the bus "The other bus should be arriving soon with your car, Elwood."

"Good" he replied with a small smile at the mention of his car, which made Maria smile.

Soon after hearing about the bus parking and Elwood having the chance at getting his beloved car, Jake found a booklet of tourist spots in Louisiana on the kitchen counter and skimmed through it.

"So what can Elwood and I do while you two go on your girl dates?" Jake asked as he looked for Shreveport.

"Well, to be honest" Rita began as she began to walk to her room to pack "Shreveport isn't as exquisite as New Orleans"

When Rita arrived in her room, Jake found a page with places for people to visit while in Shreveport and grimaced at the choices.

"What?" Elwood asked him, noticing the face his brother was making.

Jake continued to grimace as he looked up at Elwood and looked down to read from the booklet

'Must see Places for city visitors: Louisiana Science Center, Jubilee Zoo, The R.W Norton art gallery?'

Jake closed the booklet and threw it in the trash "What a load of boring crap! Remind me again why we decided to stay here instead of going straight to New Orleans?"

"So that Harv can rest and refill on the gas for the bus?" Maria asked as she rolled her eyes. "Besides, at least we aren't stranded in a small town."

"I heard Shreveport is the third biggest city in Louisiana" Elwood said factually. "So we should definitely find something to do there."

Shortly afterwards, Rita returned to the front of the bus with her bags in her hands.

"Hey Reet, the boys are wondering what there is to do in this town" Maria told her "What exactly is there to do?"

Rita took a minute to think about the places the Blues Brothers would enjoy.

"Hmm" she hummed out loud as she looked up. "I know there's a riverboat that has a casino and all you can eat buffet inside it..."

Jake lifted his eyebrows at the mention of the words "casino" and "buffet".

Elwood noticed his reaction and shook his head. "Oh no! That sounds like a really bad idea."

"Why?" Jake asked. "It's just a night of dinner and Blackjack, no big deal."

"Remember when we were in Vegas and we were late for meeting the band at that outdoor party because of you?" Elwood asked his brother.

"Oh c'mon we were late by like..what...5 minutes?"

Elwood frowned "It was forty five"

"Oh."

"I think we should be thinking about where we're gonna stay first, before we talk about things to do" Maria spoke up.

Almost out of coincidence, Harv stopped at a stoplight and turned his head to face the group.

"Just letting you guys know that I'm parking the bus at this place called DiamondJack's."

"DiamondJack's?" Elwood asked the driver

"Yeah, it's like a hotel and casino that also has a place for the buses."

Jake looked at Maria "Well there you go, Six Strings. Harv found us a place to stay, so now we can figure out what we can do."

After a few moments of silent thinking, Elwood rolled his eyes and let out a big sigh "Well, if you promise to actually not go overboard with the gambling, then I wouldn't mind going to the casino."

Jake held up a fist at eye level in triumph and patted Elwood on his back "I knew you would come around."

Rita turned excitedly to her friend "And I was thinking we could have a nice dinner, a shopping spree and to end it off with a spa date"

Maria shrugged her shoulders "I'm not really a huge fan of shopping..."

"Oh, it's not just clothes!" Rita assured "There's all sorts of stores to go to, and I think the hotel has a spa."

Maria smiled warily "Sounds fun. I can't wait."

* * *

A couple of minutes passed by before Harv drove the bus to the back of the hotel where the RV's and buses were parked. The group gathered their luggage together as they prepared to leave the bus

"Yay, we're here!" Rita exclaimed excitedly with a clutch of her bag.

Once Harv found a parking space for the tourbus, everyone stepped out and looked up at the hotel building in front of them. The building itself was a similar structure to the Bellagio Hotel as the sign above them read the letters "DJ" with a red diamond in the back.

"Seems classy" Maria commented. "I think that's a sign of how successful we are as a band."

"Yup" Elwood agreed.

The group walked inside the building and into the elaborately decorated lobby. Jake approached the front desk where a man was sitting and reading a newspaper with a bored look on his face.

"Hey, man."

The receptionist looked up and focused his attention to Jake with a fake smile. "Yes, sir?"

"I'd like two rooms for a three night stay."

The receptionist calculated the prices. "That'll be 420 dollars."

Jake paid for it with the "Band Credit Card" which they often used for group stays at hotels or group dinners and was given their keys. They made their way to the elevators and pressed the button to go up.

"Okay so how are we going to do this?" Jake asked the three people around him. "Who's gonna stay with who?"

"Well Jakey, uh..." Rita began shyly as she looked down.

Jake turned his attention to her. "Yeah, babe?"

"I was hoping I could stay with you." she said with a small smile.

Jake smiled back and wrapped an arm around her before giving her a kiss.

"I'd like that. It's a hell of alot better than sharing a bed with..."

He jerked a thumb towards Elwood. Elwood noticed Jake was talking about him, and looked confused.

"What?"

"Oh nothing." Jake said innocently as the elevator doors opened "Just saying how much I prefer sharing a bed with my girlfriend than with my scrawny brother."

Elwood smirked "Well, I can sorta understand that. I'd rather share my bed with a beautiful guitar player than a sleaze who takes up Two-thirds of the bed."

Maria laughed as they stepped into the elevator, closed the doors, and went up

"I'm not fat" Jake argued "I'm just...unfit."

* * *

Later once everyone unpacked their things and settled down for a while, Elwood grabbed the keys to his beloved Bluesmobile and straightened out his tie, ready to go out.

"Are you sure you don't want me to drop you two off?" Elwood asked his girlfriend who was in front of a mirror, brushing her wavy hair.

She removed a hair band she held with her teeth and began tying her hair. "Yeah, I'm sure. You guys' casino is closer to our shopping outlets anyway. It wouldn't make sense to drive far, come back and then drive far again to pick us up."

Elwood shrugged. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Maria stood up and retrieved her purse. "I should be back later this evening...or earlier, depending how energetic Rita is"

Elwood smiled "Okay."

Maria stood on the tips of her toes and gave him a short but sweet kiss. "Be careful. Don't let Jake get too crazy with spending the money"

Elwood returned her kiss "I know. I'll try."

"Maria!" Rita's voice called out from the hallway. "I'm ready!"

Maria's stomach turned as she anticipated to talk one on one with her friend. She opened the door and met with Rita

"See ya, Elwood" Maria called out as she departed down the hallway

"Bye"

* * *

The two women arrived outside the hotel and made their way to the sidewalk.

"I already called us a taxi." Rita said to Maria.

"Good." Maria mumbled

She sat down on a bench and looked down as she twiddled her thumbs. Rita sat down next to her on the bench and noticed her friends behavior.

"Uh, Maria?" Rita asked. "You okay?"

Maria looked up and faced the red head.

"I gotta get something off my chest."

Rita blinked, anxiously waiting for Maria to continue. "Yeah?"

"When you asked if we could spend the day together" Maria began slowly "I felt really guilty."

Rita narrowed her eyebrows. "Why? What's to be guilty about?"

"You said we haven't spent any "girl time" since our 'Instant Karma' days and...I felt guilty when you said that...because I...um...remembered the times we had together when I was with 'Instant Karma' but... I didn't keep in touch with you when you left Tommy."

Rita remained silent and continued to listen to Maria's story "And...I wanted to keep in touch with you...but I was so focused on being in the band and...I didn't want to cause any friction with Tommy, seeing he was the singer and leader."

Maria let out a sigh "I was being stupid, Rita. I didn't know he was an asshole with you and that's why you left him. I thought it was something I had to stay out of...so...yeah"

Rita bit her lip and looked down, making Maria anxious again.

A few moments of silence passed until Rita spoke up again with tears down her face. "That was a hard time for me. I was so nervous after I left him, because I didn't know if he was going to try and hunt me down...but in a way...losing the communication between us was sorta my fault too, because I didn't try to contact you either. I just wanted to get rid of every part of my past with them so bad that...I did get rid of it...even if it meant losing my closest friend."

Maria smiled sadly and gave Rita a comforting embrace. Rita continued to cry as she leaned her head on Maria's shoulder.

"I never wanted to remember being with him, Maria. That relationship was so hurtful...literally."

Maria lifted Rita's head from her shoulder and faced her again. "I know, Rita; but look on the bright side of things now. We're hanging out again, you have a boyfriend who loves you and treats you right and to makes things even better, that guy just so happens to be one of the biggest blues singers ever!"

Rita smiled and wiped away a tear.

"And I promise you." Maria concluded "If anything happens between you and Jake, God forbid, I won't make the same mistake again and push you away."

"I won't do that either" Rita promised. "I love ya like a sis. I really do."

Maria smiled at her kind words and responded with true honesty "You're the sister I never had, Reet. I love you too."

The two women hugged some more until the sound of a car cut the hug short. Maria and Rita let go and saw the taxi coming around the roundabout.

"Okay let's stop the water works" Rita said with a slight chuckle "And go and have some fun."

* * *

**AN: So now you see why Maria was so anxious. I wanted to include a little bit of Maria and Rita's past with each other to let my readers know just how close they are; and**** sorry if this was an overly long chapter with unnecessary details about them arriving in Shreveport. I just wanted my readers to get an inside look on how life is on the road for three musicians...and a meter maid as well as lead up to Maria's confession.**

**And the little part about the "birth control" in the beginning...hehehe let me just say that will recive further explanation in later chapters...**

**Oh and one last thing, I gotta say that I was influenced by Jake's "pie" joke by Family Guy. Quagmire made that same joke to Lois in the episode where they were married to each other and Peter goes back in time to the 80's.** **I don't know why, but I've always seen Jake as the type of brother who teases his younger brother and girlfriend with perverted jokes and stuff. I don't know, maybe because Jake was proven to be the immature one in the movie when he teased the couple at the Chez Paul about buying the women XD and of course when he made a million pointless excuses about why he left Camille at the altar.**

**Stay tuned to chapter 4 with the shopping spree and the Boys' night out on the riverboat casino :D**


	4. Rollin' on the River

**AN: (references The Rock) FINALLY! MRS MOJO RISIN BLUES HAS COME BACK-TO-FANFIIIIIICTION!**

**Okay, now since that's out of the way..****I'm sorry this took a long time. ****I was just so damn busy with a new semester of college, work, and volunteering. **

**Plus, I was not only working on this chapter, but the chapter after this one. I at first wanted a "Fanfiction double feature" sorta thing where I post two chapters at the same time, but I wanna get this one out of the way real bad, since it's really long. *Close to 5.5 thousand words O.O***

** Well anywhosers...here's yet another installment of "Roadhouse Blues", but just a hint of warning, there's a bit of violence in this chapter, and I'm not talking about violence against cars like in the movie... :/**

* * *

Soon after the women took off in their taxi away, Elwood, still inside the hotel, leaned against the wall and stuck his hands in his pockets as he waited for his brother outside the hallways. When Jake started to take long, the younger Blues Brother knocked on the door with an impatient sigh.

"C'mon Jake..." He called out impatiently.

After a few more seconds of knocking, Jake finally opened the door and stuffed his wallet into his pants pocket as Elwood stepped aside to let his brother walk by.

"I was just gathering enough money to bet on." Jake replied as he patted his pocket.

"Just be careful with that money, Jake" Elwood warned. "I don't want to end up flat broke again."

"Ahh, no problem!" Jake dismissed as they began to make their way down the hallways "I got a strategy all planned out."

"Oh yeah?" Elwood asked, doubtfully "What is it?"

"We'll only to go to the games that we know we will win at instead of just trying everything there." Jake answered, feeling proud of himself for what he thought was a clever strategy.

Elwood shrugged "That sounds reasonable I guess."

"Damn right!"

The men soon arrived at the elevators and pressed the button to go down.

"Before we take off, we oughta know where this riverboat is" Jake suggested "You gotta map of this city?"

Elwood shook his head in reply "No, but I think the information desk downstairs might have some maps."

_Ding._

The elevator door opened and the men stepped inside.

"Let's go get a map before we get my car."

"Okay"

The elevator door closed and led the two men down. About a minute later, the Blues Brothers arrived on the first floor and stepped out to make their way to the information desk near the hotel's exit. The female receptionist standing behind the desk looked up from talking on the phone and saw the approaching men in black. She whispered hastily at the person on the other line, quickly hung up the phone, and looked up at the Brothers with a smile. As soon as the brothers arrived, the woman found herself feeling flustered at the sight of Elwood.

"Hello, ma'am" The younger Blues Brother greeted politely.

The receptionist smiled at him as blush formed on her cheeks. "Hello sir, how may I help you?"

"Do you have any maps of the city? We're from out of town and we..."

"Yes!"

The receptionist turned a deeper red and giggled in embarrassment for the interruption "Yes, we do"

Jake raised an eyebrow at her odd antics as she quickly opened a drawer next to her and retrieved a tourist map.

"Here you go, sir." She said as she gave the map to Elwood. "And if you ever need an extra map, you can always come to me" she added with a bat of her eyelashes

Elwood nodded his head, ignoring her strange behavior. "Thank you, ma'am."

She winked her eye at him "Anytime."

"C'mon, Jake. Let's go get the car."

Jake smirked at the woman in amusement as they left her sight. When the men stepped outside and headed to the truck stop behind the hotel, Jake turned to his brother.

"I think that chick back there likes you."

Elwood narrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "The one at the information desk?"

"Yeah." Jake replied with a crooked smile "I don't think Six Strings will like that."

"I don't like that girl back." Elwood replied "So why would she be upset?"

Jake had a wondering look on his face as the thought about Elwood's point "Huh, you're right. She wouldn't make a big deal out of it...she's not jealous like you."

Elwood scowled "But I've been doing better than how I was before, haven't I? I'm not that jealous anymore."

"Yeah, ever since you dated Stevie Ray Vaughan's ex that one time."

Elwood shook his head and ran a hand through his hair nervously "But she was horrible! I never knew a woman could be that insanely jealous. I really don't wanna think about that ever again..."

Jake laughed "I guess that's what Stevie Ray and I have in common. Psycho, crazy, exes."

"Yup"

Elwood's attention was then caught as he spotted the trailer that held his beloved car.

"There it is"

He took out his key-ring and scanned for the extra key he kept for the trailer. When he finally found it, he approached the truck, unlocked the trunk and cautiously opened it upwards just enough for the car to get out from.

"Jake, help me with the ramp, yeah?" Elwood asked as he pointed out the super long ramp extension at the bottom of the truck to him.

Jake reluctantly agreed as his brother instructed him on how to extend it, since it was really wide in size. After some struggling, Jake finally extended the ramp and thus allowing Elwood, who was now inside his car, to drive the car out of the trunk. Once Elwood succeeded in driving the car out of the truck, he got out to lock the trunk and retract the ramp. After the taller Blues Brother finished with the trunk and ramp, he joined Jake inside his 1974 Dodge and drove out of the trailer stop.

"Okay Jake, you tell me where to go as I drive" Elwood instructed to his brother as he gave him the map.

"Yeah yeah whatever"

* * *

As the Brothers drove away in search of their destination, on the other side of town, the driver of Maria and Rita's taxi slowly parked the car at a curb in front of a jewelry store.

The cab driver turned to the two women as a puff of smoke escaped his cigarette "That'll be 25.32, ladies."

The guitarist was about to retrieve some money from her purse, but Rita gently put her friend's hand down.

"No, I got this."

"But I was trying to be fair" Maria replied with a frown.

"How about this?" Rita offered "You let me pay for the taxi fare to and from here, while you pay for dinner?"

She extended her hand for Maria to shake. Maria hesitated for a few seconds until she finally shook her friends hand. "Alright, fair enough."

Rita gave the cab fare to the driver before she and her friend stepped out of the car and onto the sidewalk. The cab drove away as Maria looked at the store in front of her.

"So where do we start? Do you wanna start from here?"

"Nah, I don't want jewelry " Rita replied as she glanced at the little stores that lay ahead of them. "I wanna find a boutique and get something to wear for my parents' 30th wedding anniversary."

"Why not wait until we get to New Orleans?" Maria asked

"Because we're gonna be busy as soon as we arrive there, helping with the arrangements and stuff." Rita replied as the women continued to walk down the block. "The first day of the celebration is gonna be The grand Family Dinner, the second day is gonna have the Family Game Day, and the last day is the ceremony and the huge 50's themed reception. Everyone's gonna go in different 50's clothes as we dance to the music!"

Maria widened her eyes in surprise "Why a three day celebration?!"

"This anniversary counts as our annual Family Reunion" Rita answered. "We all believe in a strong family bond, so we have these things. The past 4 years I wasn't able to go, due to lack of money and a steady job."

"Oh, I see. So how many family members usually go to these reunions?"

"About 200 or 250 people. I often loose track."

Maria raised her eyebrows and whistled in awe.

"Yeah I know, that's alot" Rita said with a shrug of her shoulders "But as I heard a guy say, 'Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.' "

Maria frowned sadly upon hearing the touching quote. "You were lucky you grew up with rich biological parents and a huge family. I don't know anything about my family besides my parents."

Rita felt pity for her friend, and wrapped her arms around her friend into a little hug. "Well, don't worry anymore about that, because since you're pretty much like my sister; You, Jake, and Elwood are officially part of the Callahan/Starkey family"

Maria smiled and hugged her friend back "Thanks, Reet"

"No problem at all" Rita said with a bright smile "Besides, you and the boys will have fun with all of my family there."

Maria chuckled darkly "I hope so"

Rita smiled as the women continued to chit chat about the party. After some minutes passed by, the red head pointed out a small boutique she seemed curious about.

"I think I'll find something here" Rita said as the women walked in the store "I might find one of those cute poodle skirts in here!"

Maria snickered "That sorta thing isn't my style.".

"Well, what kind of outfit do you wanna wear?" Rita asked as she scanned some clothes on hangers.

"Something like what Olivia Newton John wore at the end of Grease" Maria replied, remembering the 1975 movie "I love that outfit, and since I already have the pants, all I really need is the top and some shoes to go with it."

"It shouldn't be that hard to look for something."

"Yeah"

The women went their separate ways to scan inside the store for clothes. Maria skimmed the shoe racks for her size in heels. Once she found the rack carrying her size, she scanned some more until she came across red and beige heels.

_Yes, these are it!_ Maria thought to herself in triumph as she retrieved the shoes.

"Maria!" Rita suddenly called out with joy.

"What?"

Rita faced her friend and beamed excitedly from afar as she held up a long light pink skirt.

"I found the skirt for the outfit! I can just ask one of my sisters to sew on the poodle."

"Now you need a blouse" Maria told her.

"Yup, and that will be a piece of cake to find!"

Maria chuckled at Rita's happiness as the red head went off to look for a matching blouse for the skirt.

_I don't think I can ever get that excited over clothes..._

Time passed by as the two women continued to look around the boutique, both showing different signs of enthusiasm over the clothes the store provided. Maria looked around and found the black top with the shoulder-exposing low sleeves she needed for the outfit. Rita, on the other hand, excitedly scanned the clothes racks until she found something that caught her attention.

"Oooh lala. Hey Maria, look what I found!"

Maria turned and made her way towards her friend. "What?"

Rita smiled slyly as she held up a black & purple corset as well as the frilly underwear that matched it. Maria narrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"Um...why are you showing me that?" she asked.

"I'm thinking about buying this to show off to Jakey." Rita replied with a giggle. "I saw a black and red one that you might like."

"Umm" Maria replied as her cheeks turned a bright red. "I'm not really into wearing that."

"Why not?" Rita asked as she skimmed the hangers for the red and black corset "They can boost a woman's self esteem and make her feel sexy."

She skimmed some more until she found the corset with the underwear.

"Aha! Here it is."

Rita handed the outfit to her friend as she gave Maria a wink.

"Besides, I think this might help spice things up between you and Elwood."

Maria glanced at the corset with wide eyes. She gulped and turned scarlet at the thought of wearing the outfit in front of her boyfriend.

"I..um...think we're fine with the way things are."

"C'mon!" Rita teased "I'm just trying to help! There's no harm in trying something new."

Rita scuttled off in search for new clothes in the back of the store and left Maria standing with the corset and underwear in her hand. She looked down at the outfit and began to think.

_Hmm...Maybe Rita's right; there isn't any harm in trying something new..._

She looked at the price tag and nodded in approval at the amount. "Not bad."

_Besides...imagine the look on Elwood's face when he sees me in this..._

She pictured herself in the outfit and some fishnets, posing seductively on the king sized bed as she beckoned Elwood with her finger.

_"Come here and keep me company, handsome."_

_He would probably turn really red and stutter after that..._

Maria snickered at the thought and held up the outfit at her eye level.

_I guess I could continue to be a tease towards him..._

* * *

"Turn right!"

"When?"

"Right now! Aw shit, you missed it! I told you to turn right!"

"You could've told me while I was still approaching it instead of waiting until the last minute!"

The Blues Brothers were dodging traffic while bickering about the directions as they continued to drive to the port where their Riverboat casino was. The map to the port laid on Jake's lap as Jake dictated Elwood where to go and when to turn. Elwood made a U turn and drove back to the exit.

"Ok, now turn here and don't stop until I tell you to turn."

"Which way do I turn up further?"

"Left"

Elwood did as what he was told and before long, the men arrived at the port's outer parking lot. Elwood scanned the parking lot for a parking space as Jake looked out the window on his side for a spot.

"Wow, this place gets pretty packed." Jake commented

"Yeah. Not alot of space here"

Elwood, after many long minutes of searching, finally found a parking space and parked his Bluesmobile in it.

"Finally." Jake complained.

The brothers opened their doors and as they stepped out of the car, they noticed that not one, but _five_, massive riverboat casinos were parked along the port.

"Wow." Elwood said in awe. "So which one to we go to first?"

Jake shrugged his shoulders. " I don't know. So I guess we're Casino hopping tonight."

He began walking off towards the port, taking the lead as always as Elwood caught up with him.

"But your plan!" Elwood exclaimed as he finally caught up with his brother. "You said you were only gonna go to the games you know you're gonna win."

"Don't worry, I'm still sticking to the plan!" Jake replied dismissively with a wave of his hand "Besides, now that we have 5 boats to choose from, our chances of winning those games can grow by 5 times!"

"Okay Jake, whatever you say."

A loud growl suddenly roared out of Elwood's stomach.

"I hope one of the boats has a restaurant." Elwood said with a pat of his stomach "I'm starved."

"Elwood, with fancy places like these, I bet their restaurants basically make the food in front of you!" Jake exclaimed with a smirk "C'mon, let's go see which boat sails out first."

"Okay"

Elwood continued to follow his brother as he lead the way to the boats dock. Once they arrived, they noticed many people waiting in lines for entry into each boat. The brothers looked up the schedules that were shown near the entrance to the fourth boat...

**Schedule for all boats: 12:30 2:35 4:38**

The sound of a horn filled the air as the Brothers noticed the first boat was already setting sail. Jake glanced at his watch, which read _12:32._

"Shit." He cursed "We're not going to be able to get on for another couple of hours!"

"Let's try to sneak in or something" Elwood replied as he scanned the boats for a place they could sneak into.

"Hey, are you guys The Blues Brothers?"

The two men turned and found a bearded older man, about 50 years old, approaching them and looking enthusiastic.

"Who wants to know?" Jake asked, suspicious of the stranger.

"I'm the captain for Big Cecile over there" the man replied as he pointed to the third boat parked on the dock, which had a white banner on its side labeled "Big Cecile."

"Captain?" Jake asked.

"Yes, sir" The captain replied proudly "I was actually on my way to the boat right now, if you two would like to join me."

Jake and Elwood tried not to look pleased.

"Sounds like a plan" Jake replied with a nod of his head. "We'll be getting in for free, right?"

"Of course!" the captain chuckled "You're one of the hottest music groups in the world right now! It would be an honor if you would sail in my ship."

Elwood nodded his head once in acknowledgement "Thank you, sir"

"Follow me"

The Blues Brothers followed behind the captain towards Big Cecile as every few passing passengers did a double take on who they had just seen. The brothers and the captain entered the boat through a passage reserved for staff members and found themselves in a dimly lit hallway.

"Don't worry, men." The captain assured the brothers "Go down the hall and follow the lights until you hear the noise get louder."

"Thanks." Jake thanked

He turned to his brother

"C'mon Elwood, let's go and have ourselves a filling dinner"

Elwood smirked and followed his brother down the hallway, both of their stomachs growling as the smell of the food became more and more fragrant with each step they took towards their destination.

* * *

Thirty minutes passed by after they had arrived into the store and the two women stepped out of the boutique, satisfied with what they have found and bought. Maria peeked inside the bag at the new shoes, top, and a certain sexy outfit.

"I'm glad you took what I said into consideration" Rita giggled to Maria.

Maria shrugged as she looked into her bag "I thought about it and figured I could use the outfit to tease Elwood a little"

Rita laughed "You can be so mean"

"But you know I love him..."

"Yeah"

The women continued to walk past the many stores as they chatted on. Maria began to talk about a movie she had seen until she came across the sight of a cream colored Fender Stratocaster on display at a window for a music store.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed as she dashed across the street to the store window.

Rita watched her friend curiously and followed her across the street. Maria put her hands to the window and looked up at the guitar as if it was a gigantic candy bar.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Maria asked dreamily

Rita shrugged, unsure of what to feel about an instrument she didn't play "It is a really pretty guitar, I guess."

"You know who owned a guitar like that?!" Maria asked excitedly as she spun around to face Rita.

"No"

"Jimi Hendrix!"

Maria grabbed Rita by the hand and pulled her into the store with her.

"C'mon, I wanna see how much it costs!" the guitarist squealed

Rita rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You're just as bad as I am with clothes"

"After this." Maria began "I promise I'll buy dinner, okay? I just wanna see how expensive this thing is."

"Fine...I guess I can look for some drum stuff while we're here..."

* * *

After a hearty, beer-filled dinner, The Blues Brothers found themselves really full as they can barely move. The boat had already left the dock an hour ago and was still sailing down the river.

"Well Jake," Elwood said to his brother "This has been enjoyable"

"Damn right" Jake agreed while drinking his beer "And I think a couple of casino games can make this night even better"

Elwood left a decent tip for the server and got out of his seat "All right, let's make our way to the casino."

The Brothers left their table and made their way out of the dining area.

"We gotta look for a directory somewhere" Elwood told Jake.

An unfamiliar voice then filled the hallway "HEY...HEY I KNOW YOU TWO!"

Jake and Elwood turned around to find themselves facing a man in his late twenties wearing torn jeans, a dirty Led Zeppelin shirt, and worn out boots. By the slur in his voice, the two brothers could tell this man had a little too much to drink. The brothers glanced at each other confusedly and turned to the other man in the hallway.

"What?" Jake asked.

The drunk guy pointed to them "I know you two...from somewhere..I just know.._.hiccup..._I've seen you guys somewhere...I just know it!"

"Um...okay" Elwood replied, unsure what to say.

They quickly turned around and walked the other way.

"That was weird" Elwood said quietly to Jake.

"I know," Jake agreed "But drunk fans are something us famous people have to deal with time to time. We just gotta learn how to deal with it"

The brothers soon found the Directory and found their route. They stepped in the Casino, once they made their way inside, and found that it wasn't as big as a casino in Vegas but equally as impressive. The place seemed to glow with it's slot machine lights and upbeat Cajun music playing on top of the cheering or jeering of winners and losers. As the Blues Brothers scanned the casino for a game to play, they noticed the many people at different locations, either kissing a pair of dice for good luck, or absentmindedly staring at the bright and colorful slot machines in front of them.

"Where do we go first?" Elwood asked.

Jake looked around and spotted a Blackjack dealer alone shuffling cards.

"Let's go to that Blackjack table over there" Jake pointed out "No ones there and our chances at winning can go up"

"Okay"

The brothers made their way towards the lone Blackjack dealer and took their seats.

"Hello sirs" the dealer greeted.

"Hello, good sir" Jake replied with a cocky grin.

He fished his pockets and pulled out about a hundred dollars, the maximum amount a person can bet. Elwood did the same thing.

"One hundred for each" the dealer called out.

He gave the brothers a stack of chips of equivalent value to what they've bet.

"Hey, mind if I join?!" a voice slurred.

The brothers rolled their eyes and grimaced at the sound of the recognizable speech. The drunkard in the torn jeans and Led Zeppelin t-shirt stumbled his way in a chair next to Jake.

He turned his attention towards Jake and smiled. "Hey, now I remember who you two are! Those..._burp_...Blues Brothers, right?"

Jake made a face at the stench of his beery breath and nodded, not wanting to talk to him.

"Yeah, my sister went to one of your concerts" He continued "She told me she wanted to meet you guys, but you two went off with your girlfriends..."

He directed his attention to Elwood "She..._burp_...also said you were dating your...um... guitar...girl!"

"I'm not dating her." Elwood lied. "She's just a bandmate."

Jake turned to the Blackjack dealer, hopeful to change the subject "Let's start this thing."

The dealer turned towards the drunkard, getting annoyed by his presence "Sir, are you going to play? This table is reserved for the players only."

"Oh. Sorry."

He fished his pockets and found crumpled up dollar bills and slapped them in front of him. The dealer took them with a hint of disgust and gave him his Seventy Five dollars worth of chips.

"Alright!" the drunk cheered after a swig of his beer bottle "Let's play some Blackjack!"

The dealer passed two cards to each player and they peeked at their pair, wondering if they should ask for another.

"Hit me" Elwood said to the dealer

He gave Elwood another card.

"Hit me" Jake called

He too received a card. The dealer went to the drunkard.

"I'm fine." He replied with confidence.

"Hit me" Jake said to the dealer.

Jake received his card and after a glance at the amount he had accumulated, he cheered "Twenty one, baby!" with a slam of his cards on the table.

Elwood set his cards down and the dealer gave Jake one fifty in worth of chips as the winner receives 1.5 times the bet that was made if he or she won. The drunkard, meanwhile, wasn't so keen on Jake winning.

"Hey, what the hell was that all about?!" he spat.

Jake turned to him "What did I do?! I just won!"

"Bullshit!" the drunk argued "You were cheating!"

"No I wasn't!"

"You swear on your mother that you weren't cheating?" he asked.

Jake stood out of his chair and got closer to the drunkard.

"I don't have to swear to shit!" He snapped.. "I DIDN'T CHEAT!"

The drunkard said nothing as he slowly turned around, and with a blink of an eye, swung a beer bottle aiming at Jake. However, Elwood noticed the swift movement and in a split second pushed Jake out of the way and onto the floor, unfortunately making himself the target. The bottle broke against Elwood's temple, making him crash against the floor unconscious. Jake scrambled towards his brother in a panic.

"Elwood! ELWOOD!"

Elwood was unresponsive as blood dripped down his temple to the side of his face. Jake looked up and saw the drunkard being carried away in handcuffs by some security officers.

"**YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!**"

Jake tried lunging towards him with his hand balled up in a fist, but got held back by more security.

"Don't make another move, or else you'll be joining him!" one officer scolded at him.

"He fucking hit my brother!" Jake argued.

"Look, we've already called an ambulance and an ambulance boat to take your brother to the hospital" Another officer assured him "Unless you don't want to be by your brothers side, let him go!"

Jake turned his attention and anger back to the drunkard, but he and the officers carrying him were out of sight.

_That fucking son of a bitch is gonna pay...whoever he is..._

Jake turned back at his brother and saw Elwood lifted onto a stretcher by some paramedics.

"Shit." Jake muttered.

The officers loosened their grip and let Jake go to tend to his brother.

"Hang in there, man!" Jake told him worriedly as the stretcher began to wheel out of the casino "Please...just hang in there for me...and for her."

* * *

_Get yourself together now And give me something tasty._

_Ev'rything you try to do,_  
_You know it sure sounds wasted._

_Back off boogaloo,_  
_I said, back off boogaloo._

_You think you're a groove,_  
_Standing there in your wallpaper shoes And your socks that match your eyes._

Maria nodded her head and tapped her foot to the rhythm of the song as she remained in her seat. Rita, meanwhile, seemed to be having a good time as she sang along to the song of her favorite drummer and waved a hand to Maria, beckoning her to go on the dance floor with her.

Maria laughed and shook her head "No thanks, I'll pass!" she called out above the music.

"Aw c'mon, Just dance with me!" Rita beckoned. "Please?!"

Maria rolled her eye, sighed, and left her seat, finally giving in. She met with her friend and the two women continued to dance along to the song.

_Back off boogaloo,_  
_I said, back off boogaloo._

___Back off boogaloo,_  
_I said, back off boogaloo._

Maria suddenly felt something vibrate near her pocket. She looked at her side and noticed her beeper was going off, displaying an unfamiliar number.

_Who the hell would want to talk to me, now? The only people who have this number are..._

Maria suddenly bolted her head upwards, suddenly remembering "Jake and Elwood!"

Rita heard Maria and turned to her curiously "Jake and Elwood?"

Maria did not answer her as she departed from the dance floor and headed to the bar where the bartender was absentmindedly polishing some glasses.

"Ma'am" Maria called out to the bartender "Where's the nearest payphone?"

"In the back near the restrooms" the bartender replied, not looking up from her glass.

"Thanks"

Maria dashed to the back of the bar, her heart feeling its about to beat out of her chest.

_I know something's wrong...I just know it...they wouldn't interrupt our plans for just anything..._

She hastily inserted quarters into the coin slot and called the number the beeper flashed. After a few seconds of ringing, the other line picked up.

"Shreveport Hospital, how may I help you?" a male voice answered.

"Shreveport Hospital?!" Maria bellowed "But I got a page on my beeper from this number!"

"Well, perhaps someone in this hospital tried to notify you." the male suggested "Do you know who would know your paging number?"

"Yes, but..." Maria began, but stopped herself. After a few moments of panic she let out a big sigh, trying to calm down. "Will you please tell me if there's a Jake or Elwood Blues there and would you please call them?"

"Sure thing, ma'am"

"Thank you very much"

In the distant back, she heard the male call out for either Jake or Elwood Blues. A few moments of silence passed by when the phone was picked up.

"Six Strings?"

"Jake!" Maria cried out with worry "What's going on?! Why are you at the hospital?!"

"Elwood and I were at one of the Riverboat Casinos playing Blackjack when some drunk guy kept picking a fight with me and tried to slug me with a beer bottle, but Elwood pushed me out of the way and ended up getting hit right on the side of his head."

Maria felt her stomach drop as her eyes widened in fear. "WHAT?!"

"He's in the E.R getting operated on right now."

"Oh my god..."

"He saved my ass back there, Six Strings." Jake sighed "If it wasn't for him, I would've been in that E.R."

A tear went down Maria's cheek as she glowered in rage and kicked at the wall in front of her.

_Whoever this drunk guy was, he should thank God he doesn't know me..._

She took a deep breath and composed herself before replying to Jake.

"Rita and I are on our way."

"Meet me on the fourth floor once you two get there"

"Okay."

Maria hung up, and dashed from the payphone towards her and Rita's table where she found her friend waiting for her, confused by Maria's behavior.

"Maria, what's the matter?!" Rita asked worriedly.

"It's Elwood!" Maria cried out as she left some money for their dinner on a tray.

"What happened to him?! Talk to me!"

"He's in the E.R and getting operated!" she said, holding back a sob. "We gotta go! I'll tell you everything when we get in the car."

Rita gasped and quickly grabbed her purse while heading out the door "Okay."

* * *

**AN: I know what you're thinking...**

**"NOOOOOO! WHY IS ELWOOD HURT?! WHY WOULD YOU DO SUCH A THING?!"**

**Trust me, it hurt me inside making him get hurt like that, but I did warn you guys...and I did say not to get used to the cutesy stuff from the previous chapters...**

**Plus, I wanted to show the connection both brothers had towards each other. Not only by spending the day with each other, but especially Elwood protecting Jake from that bottle and taking the blow for him. And that line "Please...just hang in there for me...and for her" really says alot about Jake, huh?**

**And sorry if this chapter seemed very choppy. I just wanted to alternate the experiences of the Brothers and the women so I wouldn't just strictly focus on one group and not the other.**


	5. Shreveport Luck

**AN: Hello Hello :D Long time, no update ;)**

**I'm so sorry about that. I've been through so much since the last chapter was published, which involved school, a Green Day concert, and me moving into a new apartment. But I did not forget about this story :)**

**Anyway...**

**I know I didn't leave the last chapter on a nice note, but you will see what else happens in this chapter. It's not as long as the previous one, but I know you guys will like it nevertheless.**

* * *

The women made their way to the hospital as Maria discussed the details of Elwood's injury to Rita, who kept her mouth partly open in worry and anxiety.

"Well, I hope he's okay." she replied worriedly after Maria told her.

Maria bit the fingernail on her thumb, "Me too."

A while later, the taxi dropped the women off at the hospital and they dashed right inside.

"What floor is he on?" Rita asked, scanning the inside of the hospital for a directory.

"Jake said he was on the fourth floor" Maria answered, trying to hold back her crying.

The women found the elevators and pressed the button to go up. When the doors opened, the women stepped inside and pressed the 4th floor. As the doors closed and the elevator ascended, Maria finally burst out crying, feeling comfortable enough to release her emotions in front of her friend in contrast to being outside. Rita turned to her friend sadly and gave her a warm comforting embrace.

"Everything is going to be okay. I promise." Rita whispered right before she placed a kiss on her friends forehead.

Maria continued to cry on her Rita's shoulder as they ascended in the elevator. The doors soon opened revealing the fourth floor and it's waiting room. The women stepped out and went to Jake, who stood up to greet them. Rita made her way into her boyfriend's arms and embraced him tightly as he hugged her and gave her a small kiss.

"Are you alright, Jakey?" Rita asked, concerned for him.

Jake sighed and shook his head "He took that bottle to the head for me, babe. It's my fault he's in there."

"Jake, no it isn't..." Maria began to object s she stood in front of him.

"Yes it was!" Jake bellowed in frustration as he let himself go from his girlfriend's embrace. "If I had paid attention, I would've stopped that drunk bastard from hitting either one of us!"

After taking some deep breaths, Jake's voice lowered. "When he was carried away on the stretcher, I told him 'Hang in there, Elwood. Do it for me...and for her.'"

Maria cried harder and Rita went to her again, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Out of all the people," Maria cried. "Why did Elwood have to be the one to get hurt?"

"Because I'm the fuck up!" Jake hissed.

"No, you're not!" Maria argued.

"YES I FUCKING AM, SIX STRINGS!" Jake raged.

"Shhh Jakey!" Rita hissed, trying to shush him.

Maria wiped her tears angrily.

"You want be to call you a fuck up?!" She growled. "Fine! YOU'RE A FUCK UP! But at least Elwood didn't see it that way and still saved you!"

"Excuse me..."

The trio turned their heads and found a doctor facing them, looking livid.

"You're going to have to keep it down or else I'll be forced to call security." He warned.

Jake and Maria stared daggers at each other in silence before switching to different seats in the waiting room. Maria turned her back away from him and folded her arms as angry tears flowed some more. Jake faced his back towards her as well, making Rita squirm in the seat in the middle of them.

She sighed impatiently "Look you two, I know you both clash heads time after time, but put your bickering aside for once and think of a speedy recovery for Elwood."

Maria's anger softened up at the mention of her boyfriend's name and her crossed arms became loose.

"I know you two love him and care for him alot, so please stop" Rita begged "I hate seeing the man I love and my best friend fighting."

Jake sighed in reply. Maria said nothing for a couple of seconds until turned around to face the both of them.

"You're right" She whispered quietly "We should stop...especially for Elwood."

She ran a hand through her hair "I'm just so worried about him."

"So am I, Six Strings" Jake replied quietly "It's not everyday I feel so...guilty like this."

"We just need to hope for the best" Rita comforted as she looked back and forth between Jake and Maria.

"Yeah..." Both musicians agreed.

* * *

Time slowly ticked by as the three worryful people continued to anxiously wait. Maria kept on biting her nails, as Jake and Rita often fidgeted in their seats with small but continuous glances at the clock. After what had seemed like forever, a doctor walked into the waiting room with a clipboard in her hand.

"Visitors for Elwood Blues?" she called out.

Jake, Rita, and Maria shot up instantly and approached the doctor quickly.

"That's us." Jake replied.

"I'm Dr. Anderson." She introduced as she shook everyone's hand "I'm the one who helped treat Mr. Blues."

"Is my brother going to be okay?" Jake asked.

"We do expect a full recovery on Mr. Blues" The doctor replied with a small smile at Jake "His injury could've been worse, but your brother just needed the glass removed from his temple and some stitches."

"Oh, thank god." Rita sighed in relief.

"What do you mean the injury could've been worse?" Maria asked worriedly.

"He could've had a concussion or a fractured skull" Dr. Anderson replied as she turned her attention to Maria "But because of the adrenaline he must have had, his skull must have been immune to the blow"

"Wow" Maria said with awe "My boyfriend got lucky."

Jake bit his bottom lip to prevent himself from saying a retort, but he kept a poker face. Now wasn't the time for him to crack a joke.

"Yes, he did lucky." Dr. Anderson agreed.

"So, when can we visit him?" Rita asked.

"You can visit him right now, if you wish" the doctor answered "I'll lead you to his room, but he might be asleep."

"It's okay, we'll still go just as long as he's okay..." Maria told her.

The three visitors followed the doctor down the brightly lit hallway, occasionally moving out of the way for a passing patient or a busy doctor. Once they arrived at a certain room, the doctor opened the door to reveal a bandaged Elwood sleeping peacefully.

"Thanks Doc" Maria told the doctor happily "You have no idea how relieved we are."

She smiled "It's no trouble at all. I'm only doing my job."

Jake fished in his pocket and pulled out a 100 dollar bill to give to her "Here, you deserve this."

The doctor seemed surprised to be offered a good sum of money, but she shook her head "I'm afraid I can't accept this. It's against hospital policy for the doctors to accept gifts."

"I thought that was just for the Police" Rita answered with a puzzled look.

"Well, it applies here too, I guess" Maria replied.

Jake frowned and put the dollar bill back in his pocket. "Okay. I understand"

"If you need me, just ask a nurse to send for me"

"Thank you once again, Doc" Maria told her sincerely as she shook her hand.

Jake and Rita also shook the doctor's had before she departed down the hallway and left the visitors to be. They quietly walked inside as Rita carefully shut the door behind them. Maria made her way to Elwood's left side and held his hand as Jake made his way to Elwood's other side.

"It's a releif he's going to be okay." Maria told Jake quietly, as she stroked the back of Elwood's hand with her thumb.

"Oh yeah," Rita agreed.

"I wouldn't have been able to live with the guilt if things got worse." Jake replied with a frown

Maria glanced at Elwood. "At least we can stop worrying and enjoy how he saved his big brother."

A deep breath interrupted the conversation as Elwood began to wake up. Jake quickly retrieved Elwood's shades and put them on him before Elwood opened his eyes, remembering Elwood usually didn't like to wake up without his shades, especially in a brightly lit place. When he opened his eyes, his vision was out of focus as he tried to concentrate on the three figures in front of him.

"Jake?...Maria?...Rita?"

Maria smiled in relief upon hearing his voice and seeing that he was awake. She leaned over the side of the bed and gave him a gentle, loving kiss. After breaking the kiss, Elwood tried sitting up for a better look, but struggled.

"No, lay down, man." Jake told him as he helped Elwood lay back down again.

Elwood did as he was told and glanced at the company around his bed.

"Jake, did that guy get arrested?" He asked his brother.

Jake nodded "Yeah, the cops booked him as soon as you fell. I gotta say, it was one of the few times I actually liked the cops."

Elwood smirked.

"Look man" Jake began, feeling uncomfortable with what he wants to say "You know I don't say this alot, but...just wanna say... thanks for taking that bottle for me."

"It's what brothers do, right?" Elwood replied. "We protect each other and stick by each other no matter what."

"Aww, that's so sweet!" Rita cooed.

Maria ran a hand through Elwood's hair in comfort "You've got yourself an awesome little brother, Jake."

She looked down at Elwood and smiled. "And I've got one hell of a boyfriend."

Elwood returned a smile to her.

"All I'm saying," Jake continued "Is whatever you want man, I owe ya one."

"Yeah, you do." Elwood said half-jokingly. "But more than likely, I'll ask for something when I get outta here."

"Do you have to stay overnight?" Maria asked.

"Yup." Elwood replied with a grimace "For an overnight observation to make sure I'm actually okay. I think I'm gonna be out by tomorrow, though."

"Good." Maria replied with a smile.

She hugged him once more. "I'm just so happy you're gonna be okay. We were so worried about you."

"Yeah, that drunk bastard is gonna get what he deserves in jail." Rita defended.

There was then a faint knocking on Elwood's door and Dr. Anderson came in looking annoyed.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," she began "But which one of you is Maria Valens?"

The confused guitarist stepped forward "That's me."

"You and Jake Blues were summoned downstairs by...a party of people."

Jake and Maria glanced at each other, puzzled.

"A party?" Maria wondered confusedly.

"Who exactly is this party?" Jake asked.

"They'll explain once you go downstairs." The doctor replied "If they cause any trouble, security will have them escorted out."

Jake and Maria shared another glance.

"It's probably those paparazzi bastards wanting to get a story out of us." Jake said with a grimace.

"Well, we'll go downstairs and tell them they can go screw themselves." Maria replied with a smile.

Jake turned to Rita "Baby, you should stay here. I don't want them to start haggling you too. Elwood, Six Strings and I will be right back."

"Okay."

Jake and Maria left Elwood's room and made their way to the elevators. As Jake pressed the button to go up, a passing nurse caught a glimpse of him and approached him.

"Excuse me, are you Jake Blues from The Blues Brothers?"

Jake raised an eyebrow at the female "Who wants to know?"

She looked nervous "I feel like I should warn you about going downstairs. There's people downstairs asking about your brother, Elwood."

"I know" Jake replied "That's why me and my guitarist are going down there to send them packing."

"They seem pretty aggressive" The nurse replied.

"Don't worry" Maria replied with a grim smile "We're worse."

* * *

When Maria and Jake arrived at the lobby, they found the entrance to the hospital being blocked by a hustling group of people holding cameras. At the sight of the two musicians, the group became excited and snapped away with their cameras.

"Jake, is it true Elwood received a concussion?"

"Will he be okay?"

"Is it true you two were gambling right before he was hit in the head?"

Jake lifted his hands up as he and Maria approached the group, signaling them to be quiet. The group reduced their chatter to small murmurs.

"Elwood will be okay" Jake addressed to the group "Now, please get the hell outta here."

"What about you, Miss Valens?" one sleazy looking male with a camera addressed to Maria. "What do you have to say about all this?"

"What do you think I have to say?!" she snipped as she crossed her arms "The guy's a bandmate of mine and he's in the hospital!"

The paparazzo seemed to be taken back by her answer "That's a little rude of you, Miss Valens."

"And when has that stopped me before?!"

"Six Strings, let's call security and have these assholes kicked out." Jake said to her.

"Yeah."

Maria turned her back to follow Jake when the same paparazzo smirked.

"I don't think your parents would appreciate how you're acting, Maria."

Maria halted in her tracks as Jake flinched and narrowed his eyebrows. Jake turned to face the paparazzo.

"Look motherfucker, you don't..."

Maria spun around and dashed to the paparazzo with her hands clenched in a ball.

"Hey asshole, why don't you say that to my face instead of when my back is turned?!" She shouted.

The paparazzo looked at her with wide eyes "I was only saying..."

"Shut the fuck up!" Maria spat, her face turning red "You **never** talk about my parents!"

Before the paparazzo could say another word, she snatched the camera from his hands and smashed it against the wall, causing the lightbulb to break and to leave the body dented.

"What the fuck?!" the paparazzo yelled angrily "This thing cost me a thousand bucks!"

"I don't give a shit!"

Jake tried restraining Maria as the security made their way towards the group.

"Officer!" one woman called to one of the guards "Arrest her! She destroyed this mans property!"

"Yeah, because he's a cowardly little prick!" Maria directed towards the man picking up his damaged camera and hurriedly exiting the building.

The officer turned to her with a stern look "If you did destroy his property, I'm afraid I'm going to have to arrest you, Miss Valens."

"What?!" Jake and Maria yelled in unison.

"It was just a damn camera!" Maria argued.

"But destruction of property is still against the law..."

He pulled out a pair of handcuffs and grabbed her wrists "I'm afraid you're under arrest."

Jake began to object. "Hey, but that's not fair!"

The guard turned to him "Keep calm sir, or else you'll be in jail with her."

As the guard read The Miranda Rights, Maria was escorted out of the hospital.

"Jake!" she called out. "Tell Rita and Elwood I'm sorry and tell Elwood I love him!"

"We're gonna get ya out, Six Strings." Jake replied "Don't worry!"

Maria was escorted out of the hotel lobby and out of sight, leaving Jake alone and frustrated.

_What the fuck is up with our luck in this damn town?_

* * *

**AN: Well...that was unfortunate what happened with Maria wasn't it? But I have my reasons for this chapter.**

**I wanted this chapter to be a visual aid to what Jake's now-permanent relationship with Maria was like to my new readers. One minute they could be bickering at each other, but at the same time, not afraid to stand up for each other...whereas in "Everybody Needs Somebody" they mostly bickered until Maria told Jake a secret she kept from Elwood, at the time, thus earning respect from each other...**

**It's kinda funny though, because I've gotten messages saying that some people "ship" Maria and Jake together. **

**All I gotta say is..."Opposites attract"**

**Why do you think I paired quiet, shy Elwood with an outspoken woman? Or a girl-next-door type of girl like Rita paired with a badboy like Jake?**

**Besides, this story, along with "Everybody Needs Somebody" would've been COMPLETELY different if Maria and Jake would've been together...**


End file.
